Delhi HC refuses to halt proceedings on centre-state power tussle

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday said it cannot halt proceedings on a bunch of pleas over the powers of the lt. governor on governance in the city.

“We cannot stay the matter at the fag end of proceedings,” said a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath and also asked the central government to file its response by May 9 on the Delhi government’s plea.

The Delhi government sought a stay on the hearing on these petitions saying the issues involves a dispute of a federal nature between the central and state government.

The court has been hearing 11 different petitions arising out of the spat between the lt. governor and Delhi’s Aam Aadmi Party government over the powers to appoint bureaucrats in the national capital and other issues.

In one of its pleas, the Delhi government challenged the central government’s May 21 notification giving the lt. governor absolute powers of appointments to various Delhi government posts and barring the Anti-Corruption Bureau from proceeding against any staff under the central government’s control.